Meaningful Simplicity
by Sakura Takanouchi
Summary: Their love will be tested by all around them. Will they allow it to trap themselves? This time, star-crossed lovers are fighting back. A SetoSerenity Shakespeare-inspired piece, with a bit of some other pairings. Check it.
1. ACT ONE

Kazuki Takahashi owns Yu-gi-oh! And I don't, therefore this… is the disclaimer. I am writing this purely for my own enjoyment and entertainment, and if anyone out there gets a kick out of this, then have at it. Kick it for all it's worth.

Meaningful Simplicity

By: Sakura Takanouchi

Author's Notes: This is set kinda AU, I guess, but it still pertains very close to the original series. They live in Tokyo, not Domino City. Some relationships and loyalties may be untrue to the original series. Gozaburo is still alive. And Joey Serenity's father (undivorced) owns the electronic technology company CyberDyne. [1]

PROLOGUE

Two households, both alike in dignity

In Tokyo, the setting of this story

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny

Where innocent bloodshed tarnishes their hands.

Two children born of these two foes

A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;

Whose misfortune ruefully overthrows

And with their death ends their parents' strife.

Secretly they continued their love

And the continuance of their parents' rage,

But by their children's end they realize

Their feuding was shallow but got worse with age;

Read on, the story's just begun,

And be sure to leave a review when you're done.

ACT 1

SCENE 1

"Ah, this fresh air feels so good!" Tristan Taylor said as he and his good friend Joey Wheeler were taking a walk around the business district of their hometown of Tokyo.

"Yeah, I know what you're saying. Being stuffed in that building for hours is boring and tiring." Joey waved to a few CyberDyne workers as they walked around the building.

"Heh. Being the heir to the fastest growing Tech Company in Japan has its perks, huh?" Tristan raised his arms and folded them behind his head. "And boy am I glad you got me a job there, too! Especially because I can be with that cute sister of yours, Serenity."

"Hey. You be careful with her." Joey's voice turned rough as the topic of conversation turned to his younger sister.

FLASH FORWARD

"Do you promise to never hurt her, make her cry, or make her miss her favorite TV shows?" Joey, wearing a priest's robes, said to Tristan and Serenity.

"Uhh…Joey? I don't remember _that_ being in the marriage vows…"

"Comply or die, my friend." Joey responded, making a fist.

FLASH BACK

"Yeah, I got'cha."

"Hey! What are those freaks doing here? On CyberDyne Property, too!" Joey pointed to two young men walking towards Tristan and Joey.

"Those are KaibaCorp uniforms! They're probably spies sent here to steal our latest software! We should tell them to get lost," Tristan suggested as they kept walking towards the two young men of their rival company. It was a slow game of chicken; each person staring at the other; knowing they would confront each other eventually yet unwilling to say or do a thing.

They were mere yards from each other. But as Joey and Tristan passed the two men from KaibaCorp, Joey stuck his foot out. The taller of the two tripped over it and fell to the ground, his raven locks bobbing and his tanned arms narrowly breaking his fall.

"Hey! What did ya do that for?" He shouted at Joey and Tristan, who hadn't stopped walking. "Don't you know who we are?"

"It's you, punk, who don't know who we are!" Tristan retorted as they spun around. "Don't mess with us, especially on CyberDyne turf."

"My name is Duke Devlin, and I'm not afraid of taking you guys down, right here and right now," he said, motioning for his friend to back him up.

"Uh…I really don't think we should be fighting," he said. His looks were that of a pacifist; long, white hair and soulful dark eyes.

"Come on, Bakura! He tripped me, and now I'm going to pay him back in full!" Duke Devlin towered over Joey and punched him.

Joey skidded back several feet but recovered quickly as Tristan charged forward. "I will not let you hurt my friend!" He kicked Duke in the stomach. By now Joey had jumped on Bakura and was punching him in the shoulder. Their fight was in full swing, even when more workers from both companies saw the fight and instinctively joined it.

The shouts of "Down with the CyberDynes!" and "Down with the KaibaCorps!" could be heard from every street corner. And all this shouting brought attention.

"Enough!" Cried a voice from the second floor of the CyberDyne building.

"Father…" Joey whispered. The CyberDyne workers instantly backed down. The KaibaCorp workers stood there like chastised children.

"I never want to see a fight break out like this on CyberDyne property, or the worker will be fired!" Joey's father's voice was firm; this was a threat he was able to go through with.

"And the same goes for all members of my company as well," a graying man in a red business suit replied, walking casually down the street.

"Kaiba-san! We apologize for—"

"I do not want apologies, I want you all back to work!" Gozaburo's mind was often of the fanatic, and now was no exception. "I will not tolerate any association from my company with the Wheelers or anyone of CyberDyne!"

And the fighting was over as everyone scurried back to work and to the events of their day.

SCENE 2

A young man lay atop the stone wall surrounding the garden in the middle of the KaibaCorp Commercial Complex. He chewed on a piece of Pocky as he stared into the sky, cloudless as usual.

"Hey, Seto!" He wished he could be left alone more often. Business Tycoons wanted nothing more than to use him whenever it was convenient for them, and he had no patience for that. He brushed his chestnut hair off of his face, brushed the pocky crumbs off of his shirt and sat up.

"Hey, Duke, Bakura," Seto greeted them as they ran across the gravel paths of the garden.

"Oh, you missed a great fight! We smashed those jerks from CyberDyne! You should've been there!" Duke Devlin recounted the fight to a sarcastically interested Seto.

"What were you doing napping, anyways? You know Gozaburo's going to have your head when he finds you," Bakura said.

"Yeah, well…I don't care. All of these new ideas of his and his tycoon friends tires me out." Seto swung his legs over the wall and sighed.

"I know what we could do to get in some fun tonight," Duke said slyly.

"What?" Bakura asked, interested.

"An invitation came in the mail yesterday. The Wheelers are throwing a huge party for the success of their company. There's supposed to be a great DJ, food, and it's in that hot new club downtown!" Duke relayed the information smugly.

"And you got invited? Even though you work here?" Bakura asked.

"Yeah. Probably because Dungeon Dice Monsters is a joint project between both CyberDyne and KaibaCorp. So, I'm gonna sneak you two in, and we're gonna party!" Duke raised his fist in triumph.

"Yeah…That's gonna be great," Seto said. Maybe a party would help cheer him up…at least a little. But hanging with his friends at that party could be fun…if they stayed away from the Wheelers themselves; especially Joey.

Shrieks could be heard from the huge complex that was the Wheeler family residence.

"I got you!" A feminine cry was the response as two girls tumbled down the hallway.

"Okay, kiddo, you win. But now it's my turn! Ready or not, here I come!" The older one tossed her blonde locks as she closed her violet eyes and counted to ten. The younger girl ran into another room and hid behind the door.

The older girl ran down the hallway searching for her with no avail. But someone else did open the door, barely squashing her.

"Oh, Tristan! I didn't see you there!" She whispered.

"Serenity, what are you doing here? I almost squished you with the door! And why are you whispering?" He asked.

"I'm hiding from Mai. We're playing hide-and-seek, and It's her turn," Serenity explained.

"Oh! I get it," Tristan whispered. "Oh, Serenity? You know about that dance tonight? Well…I'd be honored if you'll come to the dance...as my date."

"Really, Tristan? That would be so much fun!" Serenity gushed.

"I thought I heard voices coming from this room." Mai appeared in the doorway, a hand on one hip. "Come on, Serenity, let's get some lunch."

"Yeah! I'll go put our order in!" Serenity left the room and walked towards the kitchen.

"So, loverboy, you better clear it with Joey just how you feel about her," Mai warned. "Or maybe I could just have you in my debt and tell him this afternoon," she mused.

"It'll go by a lot better if you tell him," Tristan admitted.

"Good!" Mai tapped his nose as she followed Serenity to the kitchen.

SCENE 3

"So, how do I look?" Serenity twirled in her short skirt. It had strips of blue, green, and black color on the fabric, which suited her coloring. A black top complemented the ensemble. Blue sandals added to her height.

"You look great, angel. I just hope that brother of your is turned out just as nicely," Mai smiled at Serenity. In a tight purple dress and black jacket, Mai looked stunning.

"Now get outta here. Don't keep your date waiting. I've still got to track down that blockheaded date of mine," Mai winked at Serenity as she left her room.

Tristan was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. 'Man, she looks good!' he thought as she walked self-consciously down the stairs.

"Hi, Tristan," She said as she walked up to him. Although several years younger, her sandals boosted her height to match his.

"Shall we?" He offered his arm to her as they left her house and headed into a Company limo to the party.

"Hey, Seto, lookin' nice!" Duke said as they met in front of the club. There was a huge throng of people coming in and out, but Duke, Bakura, and Seto got in easily.

They took the elevator up to the twenty-seventh floor and stepped out. Already there was a huge crowd of people dancing to the fast-paced music. There was a huge food corner, with booths for the party-goers.

"Later, dudes. I'm gonna go chill with those pretty girls," Duke said, and left Bakura and Seto alone.

"I'm gonna go get some food," Bakura said, and was gone, too. Seto was left all by himself, surrounded by crushes of people streaming onto the dance floor. He moved out of the way and leaned against the wall bordering the dance floor.

'Why did I even bother coming to this when I knew I wasn't going to dance?' He thought. He contented himself by watching all of the dancers dance to the American song 'The Electric Slide'.

His gaze settled on several teenagers he knew to be CyberDyne employees. Then he saw his nemesis Joey Wheeler dancing with a vivacious blonde. Then he saw another girl, dancing in the middle of the floor. Her reddish hair gleamed off of the disco lights as she danced in time to the music.

'Well, she's the most decent they've got, for CyberDyne,' he thought. Then, her eyes wandered over to the corner of the room and met his. 'Ack! She's staring at me.. with those vivid green eyes,' Seto lost himself for a moment in their gaze.

'Hmm…I've never seen him around before,' Serenity thought as her gaze wandered over to a young man leaning against a corner wall. 'With hair like that and eyes as pretty as his, I'm sure I would've recognized him around before. He must be new.' As the song ended, she ambled over to the food spread to get some punch, she noticed that that young man was following her. Or just getting some punch at the same time she was.

But Joey was too quick for Seto. Spotting him over in the corner, he strode angrily to his father and hissed, "How did a Kaiba get invited to this exclusive party?"

"Hmm? A Kaiba, do you say?" Joey's father cleaned his glasses and frowned at his son. "I don't remember inviting any Kaiba. Is he disrupting anything?"

"No, I just don't want him here!" Joey's voice verged on a whine.

"Why not? He is an upstanding citizen, and will cause no one any harm. Let the boy stay, and have fun as you were doing." His father turned back to some guests and talked about the company.

Joey scanned the crowd for his sister, but didn't see her. At that time, Tristan came up to him. "Hey, man, have you seen Serenity?"

"Nope. But she's probably in the bathroom or something," Joey answered.

SCENE 4

Serenity had actually wandered out into the balcony, where she could get a good view of the stars. Seto followed her, grabbing a punch glass and then taking a second one as well. He watched her as she stared at the sky. They were all alone on the balcony.

"Do you like to watch the stars?" He asked, startling her.

"Oh! I didn't realize anyone else was here," Serenity looked a little surprised, but her expression changed when she looked out into the streets below them. "The stars are beautiful, and one hardly ever gets a chance to see them like this."

"Like what?"

"I don't know… it's just, they seem to shine so bright tonight." She put her arms on the railing of the balcony. "My name's Serenity. What's yours?"

"Seto. Want some punch?" He offered her a glass. She accepted it and they drank in silence for a moment.

'I wonder what drove me to follow her,' he mused to himself. 'I'm not…attracted to her, am I? Certainly not. I have no time for this.'

'Hmm…Seto seems really nice, and he's cuter than Tristan,' Serenity thought as she drank her punch. 'I should ask him to dance when we get back inside.'

Without warning, Seto, lost in conversation with himself, turned abruptly to go back inside. The wall speakers were piping in the music, which had turned to a slow song.

Serenity reached out and grabbed his jacket. "Stay with me," She insisted. "Dance with me."

Although Seto refused at first, Serenity pulled him back towards her and took his hands. "You know how to dance, don't you?" She teased. She placed his hands around her hips and put her hands over his shoulders. They swayed to the music for several minutes, while never making eye contact. As the song ended, Serenity suddenly stepped away from Kaiba. "Show me your hands," she said.

Kaiba held out one hand. Serenity inspected it carefully, tracing the lines with her forefinger and rubbing all of the calluses on his fingertips.

"You must work with computers a lot. I noticed that when I took your hand a moment ago." She looked up into his startled face; even though several inches taller, her full height barely reached his ears.

She took his other hand and stared into his eyes. They were such a bright blue, a color that rivaled the sky. He returned her gaze, facing his blue orbs against her green ones. He noticed that, along the corners of her eyes there were small scars. They were the mark of laser vision surgery.

A strong feeling welled up inside Seto; in an act of uncontrolled passion that he knew he desired; he met her smiling lips with his strong ones.

She was what he had yearned for, for so long. Her innocence drove him mad, yet he found it pleasing at the same time. Their kiss was short but sweet, and they both stared at each other, wondering what would happen next. She returned the kiss, yet upon opening her eyes and seeing the clock, she broke the kiss and ran back inside.

Seto stared at her in shock. He had just found his strength; it was her. He had to see her again. With the first genuine smile on his face in months, he strode back inside.

"Serenity! Where have you been! I've been looking all over for you!" Joey, with Tristan at his tail, scolded her.

"I'm sorry, Joey…I was outside," she confessed, but kept the rest to herself.

"Well, the party's almost over, so I'm glad you came back in now so we can all go home together," Joey said.

"Let's go, Serenity," Tristan said.

"Okay," She answered, following them but looking all around her for a final glimpse of Seto.

SCENE 5

Meanwhile, Seto was searching desperately for someone who might know where Serenity lives. The room was full of CyberDyne employees; he was sure to find someone who would know.

"You look like you need to find something," a voice from behind him said.

"Someone, actually. Would you be able to help me?" He asked the woman behind him.

"Alright, hon. The name's Mai. Just tell me who you're looking for," she said.

"Someone named Serenity. I need to know more about her," Seto told her.

"Oh! I know who you're talking about. Serenity Wheeler. I hang out with her all the time…"

But Seto hadn't heard anything past Wheeler. Serenity Wheeler. She was a Wheeler, one of his greatest rivals. 'How could this be?' He thought. 'Yes, I know how this could be. Just imagine. A Kaiba and a Wheeler!' he thought. 'I have been so blind…I wonder if she knew about me this whole time…'

"Hey, Joey, why are we walking so fast?" Serenity complained as they crossed the street. "My feet hurt."

"It's just, that some Kaibas showed up uninvited, and we don't want any trouble, especially since you're around," Tristan explained protectively.

"Kaibas? Really?" Serenity Asked. "Who?"

"Why should you want to know?" Joey asked. "Two employees of KaibaCorp; Duke and Bakura. And there was a Kaiba himself there. I saw him."

"What was his name?"

"Seto Kaiba."

Serenity gasped in shock. 'Him! That guy who I danced with, and then he kissed me on that balcony under the stars…' she thought dreamily. 'But he was a Kaiba! This cannot be!'

"Hey, Serenity, are you alright?" Tristan asked.

"Uh, yeah, nothing a little fresh air wouldn't help," she replied. But inside, she was harboring a hurricane of emotions. And she was nowhere near the eye of the storm.

ACT 1: END 

[1]: CyberDyne is the artificial intelligence company in the Terminator series. I don't own it.

Notes on ACT 1:

So how does everyone like my first stab at a Seto/Serenity fic? Well, I'm liking it. ACT 2 will be up shortly; I just want the reviews to accumulate so I can get a feeling of what you guys want to read. But I have my own ideas for most of this. Stay tuned.

Notes on Seto:

I must say that he even surprises me sometimes, but as how things have changed for this fic, he should be different. Since he doesn't have to fully manage the company (he's just the heir), he has loads of free time so he can actually make some friends. Like the rumble of the Kaiba Crew and the Wheeler Crew in SCENE 1. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to have them into duel monsters at all in this fic; probably not, since everyone has to go to work.

Notes on the companies and their drama:

These are huge companies we're dealing with. Like, a huge complex of several skyscrapers and plazas. Also, with the amount of workers and guests these companies need, apartment skyscrapers and hotels catered solely to each company's specific needs has created a KaibaCorp 'district' and a CyberDyne 'district' with necessities of a large city. Rival between the companies is intense, and most workers want their company to succeed so they get greater paychecks. So, if you step on your rival company's turf, watch your back.

Stay tuned for ACT 2!

Sakura Takanouchi


	2. ACT TWO

As mentioned before, I do not own Yu-gi-Oh! I do not wish to and I feel the series much better if left in his (Kazuki Takahashi's) hands.

Heartless Simplicity

By Sakura Takanouchi

PROLOGUE

Seto has sworn against romance,

But Serenity has broken the icy shell to his heart.

Upon meeting, they yearn for another glance,

Although their families try to keep them apart.

Now Seto is beloved and loves again,

Both confused in their sudden feelings,

They want their families' rivalries to end,

And thwart obstacles that they sense are coming.

Being a Kaiba, he may not have access

To meet Serenity in society,

And she has opportunities much less

But the power of their love shall conquer over all.

What shall they do?

To find out, leave a review.

ACT 2

SCENE 1

"Seto? Hey, Seto, where are you?" Duke called as they searched the block for their friend's face. He wasn't there.

"He probably got bored or tired, and went home," Bakura thought aloud.

"Well, I had a fun time," Duke said as they walked off to their respective apartments.

Seto, desperate for another glimpse of Serenity, climbed the wall surrounding the Wheeler mansion and found himself in their garden. There were no security people around as it was close to Midnight, so Seto didn't worry about making noise as he crossed the garden and stared up at the huge complex that somewhere, he was sure, housed Serenity Wheeler.

He stared up at a huge balcony overlooking the garden. 'I'll never be able to find her, what with all of these windows and balconies. Although this one is by far the largest…'

Suddenly, much to his delight, the door to the balcony opened. Someone came out, a young girl with blue pajamas on and her shining red hair loose.

'It's Serenity!' Kaiba thought excitedly. 'I didn't even have to look for her! Should I keep quiet, or should I show myself?'

Serenity paced in the privacy of her balcony, weighted with new information.

"How could I have known he was a Kaiba? And I had to fall in love with him, of all people!" She thought aloud. "Although he is a much better person than Tristan, I must admit."

Seto, filled with confidence, moved to a different spot to get a better view of her face and in his haste branches moved and leaves crackled.

"Who is there?" Serenity called, frightened. Seto, unthinkingly moved out into the clearing where he could be seen, and stared up into her face. Her shocked smile told him everything.

"I had to see you again," Seto started. "I'm sorry for sneaking around your place, but after I first met you, I can't get you out of my mind."

Seto climbed the hanging arbor that ran the length of the balcony until he was mere feet from her.

"I don't care what Gozaburo or anyone says; I love you and I want to be by your side," Seto confessed.

Serenity blushed. "Seto… I think I'm starting to like you too. But how can we keep on meeting? After that fight between our companies, you could surely be fired, or worse if anyone sees us together."

"Then we'll meet in secrecy," Seto said quickly. "We'll find somewhere and some convenient time to meet. I promise," Seto looked straight into her eyes, "We will meet again."

Being careful to keep his balance, Seto placed one hand on Serenity's hand and another on the wall of the balcony and kissed her. It was nothing like their first kiss, or their second; this one was long and passionate.

After several minutes of making out, Serenity stopped. "You should go back home before the next guards show up," she said.

Seto looked disappointed, but agreed and lowered himself to the ground.

"Serenity!" A voice called. "You should be in bed!"

"Coming!" She answered. Turning to Seto, she whispered, "When can we meet again?"

"Seto thought for a while, then brightened. "There's a friend of mine named Yugi Moto. He's very neutral, not for KaibaCorp or CyberDyne. I'm sure he'd let us meet at the place he owns."

"Where's that?" Serenity asked.

"The Ice Skating rink on the outskirts of town; the one surrounded by parks," Seto replied. "His house is right next door."

"How about 3:00?"

'I'll be there," Seto said, and disappeared into the trees. He nimbly scaled the fence and walked quickly back to his mansion with the biggest smile on his face.

SCENE 2

Seto was able to sneak back into the Kaiba mansion without much trouble, and fitfully tossed in his sleep, filled with dreams of Serenity, dreams that always ended in nightmare.

He awoke to the sounds of "big brother!" and turned over to see his little brother, Mokuba, fully awake and exited.

"Hey, kid. What's got you so exited?" Seto asked tiredly.

"It's a Sunday! And that means that we get to go somewhere, away from this place!" Mokuba looked at him expectantly.

"Oh, yeah! Today, I'm taking you to an ice-skating rink!" Seto thought quickly.

"YAY!!!" Mokuba said happily, then stopped. "You better get ready soon, Seto, because Gozaburo looked really mad. He was saying something about a party."

'Oh, great,' Seto thought. Sitting up in his bed, Seto looked in the mirror across the room. He had bags under his eyes and his hair was all over the place.

"I'll be ready in a minute," Seto told him as he ushered Mokuba out of his room. "You go decide what you want to do before we get there."

Seto dressed quickly, choosing a dark blue shirt and khakis. He ran a brush through his hair and frowned. 'I definitely couldn't sleep last night,' he thought. 'Maybe I'm just nervous.' But a part of him was saying, 'Nervous? You? No way.' But those dreams he had…he just couldn't shake them out of his memory.

He grabbed his wallet from his briefcase and put it in his back pocket. "Let's go, Mokuba," he said, gently messing up his hair.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Mokuba followed Seto out of the mansion and straight into the Kaiba 'district', which they left immediately.

After a brief lunch at a yakitori cart, Seto and Mokuba made it to the park plaza, with many acres of parks and a huge lake. Children were running and playing everywhere, and there were many boats out on the lake. The ice-skating rink was in the middle of the parks.

Mokuba tugged at Seto's sleeve. "I saw some kids from my school over there. Can I go play with them?" He asked.

"Sure," Seto answered as Mokuba ran off. He then walked over to the house next to the ice-skating rink. He knocked on the door and Yugi answered.

"Oh, hi, Seto! What brings you here?" Yugi asked, surprised. "You haven't come in weeks!" They entered the living room and sat down.

"Well, I needed a place to meet someone, and I suggested the ice skating rink. But—" Seto held his head in his hands as he finished, "I came to you for advice."

Yugi nodded, and as Seto raised his head, he noticed that Yugi changed, somehow. His eyes became narrower and more alert, and his presence overwhelmed Seto.

"How can I help?" Seto noticed that even his tone of voice changed. It was deeper and more serious.

"How can I say it…" Seto paused, and then stared straight into Yugi's eyes. "I'm in love."

Yugi looked at Seto long and hard. "Why would you come to me with girlfriend troubles?"

"She's so much more than that…" Seto looked down again. "She's Serenity Wheeler."

Now Yugi looked surprised. "This is a puzzle, but one not so easily solved. I heard that the company rivalry is becoming more intense."

"And after that fight yesterday, If I'm even seen with her, I could get fired, or disowned! I don't know what her parents would do to her," Seto was shaking. "I don't want anything bad to happen to her."

"Don't worry," Yugi tried to console Seto. "I'll try to think of something."

SCENE 3

"I think I've met Serenity before," Yugi mused. "The Wheelers were having some corporate event here, about a year ago. The oldest son, Joey, has a very high opinion of himself and likes to fight. He is also extremely overprotective of his sister. He has some close friends, too, a Tristan Taylor and a Mai Valentine, If I'm correct."

'I remember her!' Seto remembered from the party.

"Watch out for Tristan, and Joey," Yugi advised. "But it is very wise to meet her here, Seto. Good thinking."

"Actually, I should be going now," Seto checked his watch. "Thank you for helping me. I'll definitely be back." Then he left very quickly, the door swinging behind him as he left.

Yugi smiled to himself. 'I'm so glad Seto has found someone he cares about,' he thought. 'I just hope their love is strong enough to defy a hate years strong.'

Seto spotted Serenity over at the ice skate rental building. "Can I get you some ice-skates?" Seto asked as Serenity turned around, surprised but delighted.

"Sure," she answered. He paid for their skates and they sat down at a bench and put their skates on. At least, in Serenity's case, she attempted to put on her ice skates.

"I'm sorry," She apologized, embarrassed. "I've only gone ice-skating a few times."

"It's alright," Seto smiled at her, and proceeded to tie her ice skates for her. For a man, he tied her skates with very pretty bows.

"Let's go." Seto led her out onto the ice. He skated easily and well; being a friend of Yugi's paid off again. Serenity fell over almost immediately, bringing Seto down with him a few times. After several minutes, she was able to find a balance on the ice.

They skated for a half-hour and then stopped for a snack. They bought pretzels and ate them as they watched the other skaters. Mokuba saw them from the park and ran up behind them, surprising both Serenity and Seto.

"Big Brother!" Mokuba cried as Seto almost spilled his soda in surprise. Serenity giggled at the sight, but Mokuba looked surprised at her.

"Seto, I never thought that you'd ditch me at the park to hang out with a girl," Mokuba replied with the innocence of a ten-year-old.

"Mokuba, I never thought that you'd ditch me at the park to hang out with your friends," Seto answered, mimicking Mokuba.

"Hello, you must be Mokuba," Serenity smiled at him kindly. "I'm Serenity."

"Hi." Mokuba smiled back at Serenity, then turned back to Seto. "Big brother, I want to go ice-skating, too!"

Seto gave him some money to buy skates, and once Mokuba was gone, let out a sigh. "He's the only family I have left. Gozaburo is our guardian, but he isn't much of one."

"I guess I should be lucky, then, to have all of my family, together." Serenity stared at the soon-to-be-setting sun. "Mokuba really takes after his big brother," she added, "he's such a cutie!"

Seto blushed, and then put his arm around her. They cuddled until Mokuba showed up. Then Serenity stood up. "I really should be going home," she said. "It's 5:00 already. Thank you both for a wonderful time." Then Serenity left very quickly. Seto sighed, staring at her retreating figure.

'I wonder why she left so suddenly,' he thought, but was interrupted by his brother's cry of "Let's go ice-skating!"

Yugi watched through his bedroom window and smiled. 'This place should be able to provide a sanctuary for them to be by themselves, as well as the chance to be themselves,' he thought.

SCENE 4

"Hey, Seto?" Mokuba asked as they skated over the ice.

"Yeah, Mokuba?"

"That girl, Serenity… is she your girlfriend?" A pause followed this question, which was broken by Seto.

"Yes, she is." Then, skating around Mokuba and grasping his shoulders he replied seriously, "You are not to tell anyone about her, especially Gozaburo or any KaibaCorp employee, nor are you to talk to her if you see her in public, unless she confronts you first."

"But why, Seto?" Mokuba asked, confused.

"Her full name is Serenity Wheeler." Mokuba sighed, then nodded.

"I understand."

"Good." They skated for awhile longer in silence.

"She is really pretty," Mokuba responded. "I like her."

Seto smiled at his brother. 'So do I,' he thought.

Back at the Wheeler mansion, Serenity was getting chewed out by her parents due to her lateness for dinner. "We repeatedly remind you that you must be home by 5:00, no excuses," they told her.

"Yeah, I get it," She replied. "Hey, where's Joey?"

"We don't know, and that's why we're so nervous," her mother replied.

"I heard that he challenged a KaibaCorp employee to a fight," his father said.

Serenity gasped. "Joey is always picking fights," their mother said, mindless chatter that served no purpose but to take up space.

Serenity walked quickly to her room, which was actually it's own suite on the second floor.

'I hope Seto doesn't get caught up in this,' Serenity thought nervously. 'His father…oh, I don't even want to think about it!' She collapsed into her bed, not even bothering her sudden headache and the warmness of her surroundings.

"So, you called us out here to settle the score from our last fight?" Duke called out, walking calmly into the warehouse. Auto parts littered the shelves and a beat up old car stood in the corner. Several lights flickered on, and Duke could make out the face of Joey.

"Yeah, I wanted to finish the rumble 1-on-1 style. But I wanted to fight Seto Kaiba. Where is Seto Kaiba!" Joey shouted.

"I don't know," Duke lowered his gaze. "He spent the whole day with his brother."

"I don't mind fighting you," Joey said, cracking his knuckles. "It gives me time to warm up before I fight that bastard."

Duke raised an eyebrow, and charged a surprised Joey. He managed to land a punch before Joey had time to counterattack.

They exchanged blows for several minutes, but it was obvious Joey was only warming up, and Duke was far below his skill level.

'Seto…' Duke thought, 'Where are you?'

SCENE 5

Upon arriving at the Kaiba mansion and sneaking around Gozaburo, Seto turned on his cell phone in hopes of a message from Serenity. No such luck. But there was one from Bakura.

"Seto, where are you? Joey has challenged Duke to a fight, and you know how that's going to end. Get over to that Auto Warehouse on 5th street—the one separating the company districts. I'm already on my way, but you know 5:00 traffic. I just hope no one gets hurt---" Bakura's message clicked off.

Seto cursed silently as he headed back outside. He started running towards 5th street. He just hoped he'd make it in time. 'Serenity, I don't want to hurt your brother,' he thought, 'But I may have no choice.'

Seto arrived at the warehouse and flung open the doors. A dazed Joey and a beat up Bakura turned around. "Seto! I'm glad you—"

He fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Joey stood behind him, holding a piece of pipe like a club.

"Finally," he said between breaths, "We can fight."

Notes on ACT 2:

What a cliffhanger! Whew, the scenes are getting shorter as this fic progresses, ne? I hope everything is running smoothly so far. You know (actually you don't) but I'm writing all of this in one go, but since won't let me load the story (ACT 1) I've just kept on writing. So I don't have any reviews or anything to talk about! So send more to make up for it!

See you for ACT 3!

Sakura Takanouchi


	3. ACT THREE

Here again! Well, I get another opportunity to express the fact that I don't own Yu-gi-oh! Wow! Betcha never knew that!

Meaningful Simplicity

By Sakura Takanouchi

Prologue

They found a place where they could secretly meet

Seto and Serenity; their love none could tell

They went on their way, and Yugi did greet

A confused Seto in need of some good counsel.

Now Joey, his rage and anger consumed him

His sister unknowing, it was Seto he challenged

To a fight to the finish, though it was Duke Devlin

Who accepted the fight, for they must be avenged

From their fight of last morning, though no one could tell

Who was the victor, it was just as well

Each company said, 'His job will be the price

If they get caught in their enemy's vice.'

So Seto and Serenity, on opposing sides of this war

Being waged, a review just might help them settle the score.

Author Note: Sorry for interrupting, but did anyone just read that? I did that prologue all by myself! No one helped me, in contrast to the last two. (Thanks Kako for helping me!) I felt like Dr. Seuss, it was so awesome! Okay, continue reading now! Or if you didn't read that prolouge, then READ IT NOW!!!

ACT 3

SCENE 1

"Now we finally get to see who's better; you or me, KaibaCorp or CyberDyne," Joey said.

Seto stared in disbelief at Joey. He rushed over to Duke and felt his pulse.

"You could've killed him with that!" He stood up and glared at Joey. "I'll have to finish you off twice as fast now."

"You won't have a chance," Joey retorted, and started running towards Seto. The pipe was still in his hand. Seto ducked as Joey swung and then ran over to a shelf to get a pipe for himself. Using the pipes as swords, they fought for several minutes, neither one tiring or backing down.

'Serenity… I don't want to hurt your brother,' Seto thought as he dodged Joey's attacks. Then he leaped backwards and dropped his pipe.

"Huh?" Joey scratched his head confusedly. "Why'd ya do that?"

"Moron. I don't want to fight you," Seto looked at his feet and thought of Serenity.

"I won't let you walk away from me that easily," Joey let his arm hang at his side as he sneered. "You should have seen how Duke fought. You would have been embarrassed."

"Shut up!" Kaiba screamed at Joey. He was emotionally breaking down, torn between his friends and not wanting to hurt Serenity.

"He was so weak, Kaiba. Simply put, he…had to go." Joey waved his free arm in the air nonchalantly.

"You're…you're heartless," Kaiba's head hung down as he spoke.

"Come again?"

"YOU'RE HEARTLESS!" Kaiba had reached his boiling point. He rushed Joey and proceeded to deliver punch after punch after punch on a shocked and close to unconscious Joey.

But that wasn't enough. Even after he had two black eyes, a bleeding nose and mouth, and bruises all over, Seto still kept punching him.

Joey lay unconscious on the floor of the Warehouse, as did Duke. Seto sank to the floor, finally aware of what he had done. 'Okay, Seto, get yourself together,' he thought. 'Just…get out of there. Then everything will be all right.' He followed his own advice and left the warehouse, walking quickly and stopping only once he was safe in KaibaCorp territory. Ducking into an alleyway, he dialed 9-1-1 on his cell phone.

"There are two unconscious people in the auto warehouse on 5th street that need medical attention," Seto spoke quickly, not identifying himself. He then hung up and walked back to the mansion, not talking to anyone for fear of breaking down and beginning to cry.

SCENE 2

Bakura arrived at the warehouse to find an ambulance parked outside of it. Getting out of his car and breaking into a run, he threw open the door of the warehouse to see several doctors carrying two stretchers. He couldn't see who was under the sheets covering the persons on the stretcher, but naturally he assumed the worst.

"Seto?" He asked. "Duke?"

"Hey, kid, do you know these two?" A doctor asked Bakura, lifting the sheets to reveal a bruised Duke and a bloody Joey. Bakura gasped.

'Seto--! What did you do?' he thought.

"We've called the Wheelers about this one here, but we don't know who to contact for the other," the doctor said, loading the ambulance. As they drove away, Bakura thought, 'He doesn't have anybody. Nobody but us.' The sight of the ambulance rounding the corner brought him back to his senses.

"Gack!" He cried, getting back in his car, "I've got to follow that ambulance!" He drove quickly to the hospital and parked in the Emergency section.

Running inside, he spotted Mr. And Mrs. Wheeler, but no Serenity. He approached the desk attendant and demanded, "Where is Duke Devlin being held?"

"Oh, he just arrived and is in the emergency room. Go to room 224 to speak to the doctors," the attendant replied and stacked some papers.

"Thank you!" Bakura ran to an elevator, and then decided stairs would be faster. He reached the second floor and ran down the hallways until he found room 224 and entered. Doctors were huddling around Duke, who was lying on the bed.

"How is he?" Bakura gasped for breath.

"Duke Devlin, the new patient?" A doctor asked. Bakura nodded. "He arrived in a critical and comatose state, and we're seeing if they'res anything we can do, but we don't know when he'll wake up. I'm sorry."

Bakura started shaking uncontrollably, and had to lean against the wall for support. 'Duke…you idiot,' he thought, blinking back tears. 'Why did you have to go and get yourself in a coma?' He turned away and was about to follow the doctors out of the room until he heard a voice, coming from the partition separating the beds.

A female voice was crying and screaming. "Joey!!!" She cried. "Damn fool. You're probably laughing at us all, in heaven or hell or wherever you ended up. Why'd you have to leave us, Joey!" She sobbed for several minutes, and Bakura dared a peek behind the partition.

He saw a blond woman sobbing over a sleeping figure, while two adults who Bakura recognized as Joey's parents were crying softly. He gasped in shock.

'Seto… he killed Joey!' Bakura realized. 'He could be tried for murder and sentenced to jail, or worse! And now, this makes Serenity... The heir to CyberDyne!'

SCENE 3

Serenity stirred softly in her sleep. She opened her eyes, which seemed weighted heavily. She sat up and felt her forehead. It was then that she noticed the note on her bedside table. It read:

Come to the kitchen; we need to talk.

Your parents.

Serenity got out of bed and groggily walked downstairs. She felt awful; maybe she had a fever. When she saw her parents, the look on their faces was terrible, and an almost empty Kleenex box sat on the table. Serenity knew that only one thing could make them like this: Joey.

"What has happened to him?" She asked, frantically moving towards her parents. "Is Joey okay?"

"Serenity, this is very difficult for us to tell you, but—" her father said solemnly, her mother forcing back tears, "Joey was in a fight with a KaibaCorp employee... and he didn't make it. He's dead, Serenity."

'He's dead?' She thought wildly, her emotions going out of control. Vaguely in her mind she heard her brother's voice, calling, "Hey, Seren-chan...' something that she would never hear again. She would never see him again. And someone from KaibaCorp killed him! 'I will never forgive them!' She thought.

Serenity's parents watched, helpless, as Serenity screamed, "Joey!!!" and collapsed onto the floor.

SCENE 4

Seto was refusing to leave the house, using his studies and KaibaCorp business as an excuse. This made Gozaburo delighted but Mokuba was very upset. And Kaiba always had a hand right over the phone in case of a call. He was also watching the news.

"And now, in very recent business news, we are going to Domino General Hospital, where two very important people are staying. One is Duke Devlin, the Dungeon Dice Monsters CEO and he is currently in a comatose state. Lawyers are going to work to decide who shall be his heir."

'Woah…Joey really beat him up bad,' Seto thought.

"The other is Joey Wheeler, who died while in Emergency Care about an hour ago. There were no witnesses, but we assume this was a company rivalry, and either KaibaCorp or Dungeon Dice Monsters is to blame for the death of the CyberDyne heir. The new heir has been named: Serenity Wheeler, the youngest child of the CEO. More news at ten."

Seto practically spit out the coffee he was drinking. 'Serenity is their new heir?' he thought. 'If that is, then how could I choose between her and my company duties?'

Just then, the phone rang. Kaiba jumped out of the trance his dark thoughts were creating, and answered the phone. It was Bakura.

"Did you just watch the news?" Bakura's voice sounded strained and tired over the phone line.

"Yeah." Seto replied.

"Well, I hope everything turns out ok, what with CyberDyne investigators trying to find out who attacked Joey. Except they aren't filing for murder, since he died in ER."

"Thanks, Bakura. You're making me feel a lot better. I was just avenging Duke, that's all." 'But I didn't want to do that. Never did I mean to kill her brother. I should probably call her.' He thought.

"Hey, Bakura? I gotta go now." Seto said.

"Okay. See you."

Seto hung up the phone and sat back in his chair. 'Serenity…' he thought sadly. 'I never meant to hurt you.'

He then picked up the phone and dialed the number of a good friend.

SCENE 5

Mai watched over a sleeping Serenity and frowned. After the shock of her brother's death, Serenity's fever had escalated into a full-scale bout of pyrexia. Serenity moaned in her sleep. Minutes earlier, Mai had checked her temperature. It stood at 104.5.

"Hang in there, kiddo," Mai said to herself as she was leaving, "I need a drink." Just then, the phone rang, which Mai answered first.

"Hello, Wheeler residence." She said.

"I need to speak to Serenity Wheeler!" The voice on the other line demanded.

"And who is this?" Mai pursed her lips and stared at Serenity.

"It's Seto, and I need to speak with her right away!"

"Listen, kidd," Mai said, lowering her voice, "Serenity's quarantined with a fever of 104 and she's in really bad shape. She's asleep right now, so she can't talk to you, or anyone else. Your name was Seto, right?"

"What's it to you?"

"She's been calling out to you in her sleep. I thought she was delirious, but I guess you must be pretty special to her, if all she can think about with a fever is you. Tell you what, I'll get you into the house if you're at the kitchen entrance in 20 minutes. That's when I wake her up and give her some medicine. Just one thing--"

"What is it?"

"If you're the Seto I think you are, then wear a disguise. Preferably something silver and green [1]."

"Sure, I'll be there." Seto hung up the phone and walked into his closet. He stared at all of its contents, not a silver or green thing in them.

"Blue and Black it is, then," Seto said to himself, and after changing, walked quietly but quickly past the security systems and exited the Kaiba Mansion.

'I'm coming, Serenity,' he thought.

[1]: Silver and Green are CyberDyne uniform colors, so everyone is made to wear those colors. Likewise, the KaibaCorp colors are black and blue (except Gozaburo with his tacky red suit. What's up with that?).

Notes on ACT 3: Sorry it took me so long, but here's ACT 3. I've made the scenes shorter, but ACT 4 will definitely be longer. So stay tuned for it!

Also, be sure to check out my other Seto/Serenity fic, Fire and Ice. I just started it, and I would appreciate if everyone would read it!

Notes on Yugi: I dunno if people got confused with him, but THIS IS OC. Yugi has his millennium puzzle from his grandpa's love of games, but Yugi decided to buy a skating rink. And his yami doesn't come out much. I mean, you can only save the world so many times.

Notes on why Joey had to die and Duke ended up in a coma: I'm sorry, but IT HAD TO HAPPEN! No one's going to come back to life, except maybe Duke, but NO ONE KNOWS!!! So flame if you wish, but HE'S DEAD! I'm sorry, all of you Joey fans. And I never really got to emphasize the whole Mai/Joey thing. Oh well.

Stay tuned for ACT 4! Coming shortly, or as soon as I can write it!

-Sakura Takanouchi


	4. ACT FOUR

I do not own Yu-gi-oh, yu-gi-oh, yu-gi-oh, I do not own yu-gi-oh, come sing along with me! La la la..................

Meaningful Simplicity

By Sakura Takanouchi

Prologue

Joey can no longer stand in the way

No one knows the sad but true cause of his death

And Seto did say that Joey would pay

For hurting Duke, now he's breathed his last breath.

Serenity, after hearing of her brother's state,

Has taken a turn for the worse, she's frightfully ill

What now turns are the wheels of fate

As they try not to get caught in their company's evil.

For these Two rival companies have an heir on each side

Poor Seto and Serenity, their love they must hide

With no one in to confide

And so, for now, their time they must bide.

Leave a comment or two, perhaps a review

And I'll put up a new chapter for you.

ACT FOUR

SCENE ONE

"Oh, good. You're here," Mai welcomed Seto into Serenity's room. He stood uncomfortably, taking in the room he was in. It was large and the furniture was antique and wooden not unlike his own. But the walls were covered with posters and pictures, and a fluffy rug decorated the floor space he was standing on. The lighting was plentiful, and so even though it was nearing dinnertime, he could well make out the form of Serenity lying on the bed, sleeping peacefully for the moment.

"How is she," Seto said, rushing to the side of the bed. "Is she okay?"

"She's better than several hours ago," Mai said. Worry was apparent on her face and Seto could detect it in her voice. "Her fever's currently at 104.5. It's serious, but not critical if treated. She's on medicine and she should wake up soon."

"Do you know how her condition got like this? The last time I saw her, she was energetic and now..." His voice trailed off, and they both stared in silence at the sleeping Serenity.

"She was fine, only complaining to me once about a headache. Then, her parents told her about her brother, and she fainted. Her temperature soared, and we think she may have some virus inside of her, making her like this." At this, Seto shifted his feet uncomfortably and stared out of the window. Mai turned towards him suspiciously. "Do you know something about Joey? Please, tell me if you know the killer. You don't know...how we're suffering." Mai broke down into tears and Seto tried to comfort her.

"Why did he have to die?" Mai sobbed. Seto said nothing, just held Mai's shoulder with one hand and rubbed her back with another. "Dammit, that blockhead!"

Suddenly the figure on the bed rose. Serenity blinked slowly and looked around. "Mai, what's wrong? Seto? How...why...?"

"Serenity, don't you remember? Joey...got killed in that fight. And then, you fainted. I called Seto when you called out for him in your sleep. What's the story between you two?"

Serenity tried to speak, but couldn't make a sound. Tears streamed from her face. "J…Joey?" She said softly. She leaned forward and threw her arms around Seto and started crying on his shoulder. Seto didn't flinch, or complain about the tears on his jacket. He stroked her hair gently, until Serenity pulled away. "Seto is my boyfriend, Mai. And I love him."

Mai stared at Seto, then at Serenity. "You two..." She smiled at them. Seto stared at Serenity, and then swallowed hard.

"Serenity, I have something to tell you."

SCENE 2

"What is it, Seto?" Serenity stared at Seto with curious liquid eyes. She sat up fully in bed and took Seto's hand.

"I…was there when your brother died." Seto could hear himself talking, but his voice was far away in his consciousness.

"You…were there?" Serenity blinked back tears. Mai watched on, her heart beating rapidly in her chest.

"I was the one who called the ambulance in an attempt to save him. But he died before reaching the hospital. I tried to save him, because, Serenity..." He paused and took a deep breath, "I am the one responsible for taking his life."

Serenity sat, shocked and speechless. Her gaze was past Seto and into a mirror on the other wall. "He led you on, didn't he? Joey was always like that. He loved a good challenge, but he went about it the wrong way. I'm sorry he's dead, but that can't be helped. You're alive, and you're here." Serenity attempted a weak smile towards Seto. He smiled back, and they shared a kiss.

Pulling apart, Serenity noticed Mai, whose eyes were wide and she couldn't take her eyes off Seto. She took a step back, and then another. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Mai? Mai, are you all right? Mai!" Serenity started to get up, but Seto motioned for her to stay in bed.

"Mai, I had no choice. He forced me to fight. He put my best friend in a coma." Seto's tone was desperate.

"So it's alright to put mine in a coffin?" Mai's voice quivered. She reached out a tentative hand for the doorknob, and then paused.

"Don't do it, Mai!" Serenity said. "Don't go. People will come, and Seto can't go anywhere. Please don't, Mai!"

Mai turned towards her. "You may have chosen Seto over your brother, but I can't do that." She flung open the door, just as Tristan poked his head in.

"Serenity, I came to see you---" He stopped as he came face-to-face with Seto Kaiba. His eyes narrowed. "Why you!" He turns towards the door, where a crying Mai had just left, and then turns back to Serenity's tear-streaked face.

"SECURITY! WE HAVE A KAIBACORP EMPLOYEE ON THE GROUNDS! SECURITY!" Tristan yelled. Serenity gasped.

"Seto, run!" She yelled. Seto nodded, and then darted quickly out on the balcony, climbed down the trellis and fled the Wheeler Mansion.

Serenity was crying and sobbing. Tristan stood there, dumbfounded, not sure whether to comfort Serenity or chase after Kaiba.

"Serenity, why are you crying? What did that creep do to you and Mai?" Tristan put a hand on Serenity's shoulder, but she shrugged it off and continued crying loudly.

"Joey's dead!!!" She wailed, and Tristan said or did nothing until the Security guards came in.

"What seems to be the problem here?" One of them asked. "We heard someone yell that there was a KaibaCorp employee in here."

The security guards looked at Tristan, then at Serenity, who was still crying and yelling, "Joey!"

"Yeah, there was a KaibaCorp employee here," Tristan said, turning to face the guards with a serious expression on his face. "Patch me through to Gozaburo Kaiba, will you? We need to have a chat about what his employees do with their free time."

SCENE 3

Seto Kaiba jumped over the fence separating the Wheeler Mansion and the CyberDyne district. He ran nonstop until he was safe in KaibaCorp territory. 'Now it's out...I shouldn't even go by the CyberDyne area in awhile. I'll go back home, get some of my stuff, and then go over to Yugi's house. He should be able to help me with all of this.'

He arrived at the Kaiba Mansion and sneaked in through the kitchen. He reached his room without running into any of the staff or Gozaburo, which he was thankful for. But he wanted to see Mokuba before he left. He quickly shoved some clothes in a duffel bag and added all of the money he had. "Goodbye, room." He said quietly. Then a voice from behind him made him freeze.

"Going anywhere, Kaiba?"

SCENE 4

Seto turned around to see the red-suited figure and arrogant smile of Gozaburo Kaiba. "I said, where are you going?"

"None of your business." Seto flung his duffel over his shoulder and glared at Gozaburo.

"I just got off the phone with someone from CyberDyne. It was a very interesting conversation, actually. They wanted to know why my son was seen in the Wheeler Mansion. Of course, you could imagine my surprise when I found out where you spent the last half-hour. Would you like to know what I told them?" Gozaburo's voice was calm, but slightly mocking. This made Seto angry, but he refused to show it.

"Not particularly, but could I stop you?" He answered.

"I told them that, since you were only my son by adoption, that there would be plenty of other places for you to go. That's right. You don't have to run away. I'm throwing you out. Why the surprise?" He laughed at the shocked expression on Seto's face. "I still have Mokuba. He's young enough to not have learned disobedience from you. He'll bend to my will. You wouldn't, so now you're gone. You will be gone from his life, you hear me? I'll have Mokuba monitored for the rest of his life, and if you should even appear in the same room as him, I'll have you taken care of." He threw back his head and laughed. It was a cold, sinister laugh that sent chills running down Seto's spine. But if Seto had learned anything from Gozaburo, it was that same ruthless attitude. Seto did not flinch.

"Here's a twenty. No, take a hundred. The more money I give you, the more satisfactory the feeling when I watch the news and see your dead body in an alley somewhere. Now get out of my sight."

Seto said nothing, and he didn't even take the money that Gozaburo offered him. He walked down the stairs, his duffel swinging behind him. Mokuba appeared out of nowhere, and walked up the stairs. "Big brother!" he called happily. But Seto said nothing, just stared straight ahead. He didn't even look at him. As he left the stairs into the entry hall, he could hear Gozaburo's voice, telling Mokuba that "he's going somewhere, to a place where you can't follow. Be good and you won't end up like him." Seto clenched his fists as he took one last look around the huge entry hall.

'Yes, Mokuba, Be good. Be a robot for Gozaburo, but be sure to keep that fire alive in your heart. I'll come back for you, I promise. But for now, this place makes me sick. I'm better off far away from here.' He then flung open the doors to the mansion and took the long walk to the front gates, not bothering to take a car. They all had KaibaCorp flags, so what was the use?

SCENE 5

Serenity leaned back in bed and stared at the ceiling. 'How am I ever going to see Seto again?' She thought. 'I'll probably be under constant surveilance as the new heir to CyberDyne. I don't want to be responsible for a company. I want to be free of all this.'

A knock on her door sent her thoughts scattering. "It's me, Tristan," he said.

"Come in," She called. He opened the door and walked in, carrying a small bouquet of daisies. He set them down on Serenity's nightstand and smiled at her. "Can we talk?" He asked.

"Sure," She answered. She sat up in bed and swung her legs around, making room for Tristan to sit next to her.

"I know you've been through a lot today, but I don't think I can wait any longer," Tristan's expressions were confident but serious, and Serenity was dreading what he might say next.

"Serenity, I want you to be my girlfriend. I've liked you for years, but I never got the courage to say anything. I was going to tell you at the party, but we had to leave before I got the chance. I love you, Serenity—please say you'll be my girlfriend!"

Tristan's confession was pure love, and Serenity couldn't help but smile. "Tristan, that's so sweet," She started.

"Really? I mean, yeah, of course." Serenity laughed, but then her smile faded.

"I'm sorry, but I can't be your girlfriend." She said. Tristan tried not to look depressed, but he couldn't help it.

"Is it me? I'll change, if that will make you want to be with me. I promise, what is it?" Tristan jumped on himself as the excuse, but he stopped talking when Serenity put a hand on his shoulder.

"I like you, too, but as a friend. But I could never be your girlfriend."

Realization dawned on Tristan. "So there's someone else, isn't there?"

"Yeah, there is."

"I'll bet he's tall, charming, and handsome, and doesn't have a dorky haircut like mine," Tristan said, now being able to accept that he was going to lose her.

"Well, I think he is. And Tristan, your hair isn't dorky." Serenity answered.

"It's that Kaiba kid, isn't it? I thought something was up, when you called him by his first name." Tristan looked at his feet, dejectedly. "I'm sorry I had to come in and ruin it for you."

"Don't be, Tristan. You were concerned about me, and I couldn't be happier that I have such a caring friend." Serenity's words made Tristan smile, and he looked more like his old self.

"Thanks, Serenity." He reached out and gave her a quick hug, and then pulled away. "I won't do that again," he said quietly. He jumped off the bed and walked towards the door. "I'll stop chasing after you too."

After he left, Serenity leaned back in bed with a long sigh. 'I'm sorry, Tristan,' she thought. 'If only you would have asked me at the party. But I still would have chosen Seto over you.'

Tristan reached his own room and paced. 'What I didn't tell you was that Gozaburo knows, and he'll throw Seto out, so he'll never be able to see you again. And then, I'll make my move,' he thought with a smile.

Notes on ACT 4: Sorry to say, but this next chapter might be the last. And I say might. I had intended for this to be only five acts long, but if anyone can give me suggestions in how to keep this fic going, I may use them. But be prepared for act five to be the last. I was also planning on doing an "outtakes" act, which shows several scenes from this fic where things don't go exactly as planned. These would be funny things, mind you, and would serve as comic relief between all of the sadness and drama of this fic. That might come before act 5, or after. I'm not sure.

Notes on the Wheeler and Kaiba Mansions: Whenever I wrote about the Kaiba Manion, I imagined a massive old-southern kind of brick building. (Or an English Castle!) The Kaiba Mansion has huge lawns and orchards, and only the Kaiba Family lives there, although there would be room for many more. (Estimation: 4 stories high)

The Wheeler Mansion is right in the heart of the CyberDyne district, so as their mansion is huge, it doesn't have the lawns and gates that the Kaiba Mansion has. I also envisioned a sort of Modern-styled outside, with stucco and tan brick. Although they do have a fair-sized backyard, which Serenity's room faces, hence the balcony. Also, the Wheeler family does live in the mansion, but so do some of their friends and co-workers and staff. Tristan and Mai live in the Wheeler Mansion, even though Mai doesn't work there. (Estimation: 3 stories high, but longer than the Kaiba Mansion)

These are notes to avoid confusion, for example: "Tristan reached his own room and paced." Don't be Confucius. He lives there.

So send me a review and tell me what you think of this act, of any random thought that enters your head, I want to know about it! If you have any questions, I will also answer them. I want to hear more than, "Update, I love it!" Those make me feel happy, don't get me wrong, but they are so uninformative. The more reviews=the faster I put up the next chapter!

I'll get ACT 5 up in a jiffy-pop!

Sakura Takanouchi


	5. ACT FOUR AND A HALF

Hiya! I've decided to keep everyone in suspense by posting some 'deleted scenes,' scenes from the various acts that I actually put into consideration for the final draft, but they got cut because...they were too random. You'll see what I mean.

Meaningful Simplicity

By Sakura Takanouchi

Prologue

Now I know that I've kept all of you waiting

And I've got a good excuse, as I soon will tell

I've put these good characters up to sedating

So that they can do my bidding as well.

As you all will soon know, some things may betide

That may be thought as weird or even strange;

Although the cast put up quite a fight

And that didn't rhyme, but who cares, its mine!

No matter what happens, I think you should know

That Yugi has a lawyer, and so does Seto

So that if in danger, or in case of displaces

They can both protect their beautiful faces.

Although this isn't an act in itself,

A review may help speed up the result.

This seems to be a prologue that doesn't want to end

So I'll leave it at this bar, and with two words I shall send—

READ!!! REVIEW!!!

…Enough said.

( ACT 4 ½1/2 )

ACT 1

SCENE 4

SCENE 4

Serenity had actually wandered onto the roof of the building, wanting to get a breath of fresh air. "Ooh, the stars look so pretty tonight," She said to herself, breathing in. She reached out her hand to touch them, and in doing so, fell several stories down, where in a one-in-a-trillionth chance she landed on a window-washer's station suspended on the twenty-seventh floor. 'It must have been that delicious punch I had,' she thought, and resumed looking at the stars as if she didn't have a care in the world.

Meanwhile, Seto had caught sight of Serenity's hazardous fall to the window-washer platform. 'Its that girl!' He thought. 'I have to talk to her.' So he took his high-power custom-made glasscutter mach 8 out of his pocket (which has the same holding capacities as Mary Poppins' purse) and proceeded to cut a perfect circle, removed it from the window, and stepped through, joining Serenity on the platform.

"Well, that's an easier way to watch the stars," Serenity commented on his glass cutting technique. "Is that a high-power mach 8?"

"Custom made," Seto dropped it over his shoulder, sending it on a one-way trip to cement heaven. Apparently Seto's magic pockets have non-refillable magic powers.

"My name's Seto," He introduced himself, offering her a shot of punch.

"I'm Ser… hic …entity, or, excuse me, Serenity," She said, taking the punch he offered her. She downed it in one gulp, and then looked around curiously. "Who's that guy?" She said, pointing to an old man sitting on a platform bench.

"Oh, just an extra," Seto said. The music from the dance floor was working its way outside, and Serenity couldn't help but dance. Of course, it goes without saying that she chose Seto over the extra.

"My heart will go ooooonnn and ooooooon," She sang, several beats behind the music, but who cared? She was stupid enough to chug that shot of punch.

Serenity and Seto danced until the song was over. "Well, that was fun," Seto said.

"Kiss me," Serenity's eyes were half closed as she leaned in towards Seto.

"Wha--?" Seto backed away and almost wilted when he got a whiff of her breath. "Serenity, that stuff's Hawaiian Punch!"

But our unfortunate hero barely got a chance to resist when an obviously impaired Serenity pushed her lips to his, in a grossly yet vitamin-rich Hawaiian Punch flavored kiss.

Serenity pulled away, her eyes opening. She seemed to sober down a bit, but the real shock was when they both noticed that the music had stopped.

Everyone, and I mean everyone, was staring at them.

CUT!

ACT 2

SCENE 5

SCENE 5

Upon arriving at the Kaiba mansion and sneaking around Gozaburo, Seto turned on his cell phone in hopes of a message from Serenity. No such luck. But he did get a cell shortly after, from Bakura.

"Seto, where are you? Joey challenged Duke to a fight, and you know hoe that's going to end. Get over to that Auto Warehouse on 5th street—the one separating the company districts."

"Why aren't you there?" Seto demanded.

"Well, you see…" Bakura's voice trailed off. "I'm at the huge Kohl's one-day-only sale, and there's this adorable pair of pants that are just my size and—"

"Never mind," Seto cut him off. "More importantly, how did you know?"

"I don't know!" Bakura's voice was impatient. "It's just in my script. Go with it!" Bakura hung up, and all Seto could hear was a click on the other end.

"Damn clotheshorse," Seto cursed, and then started walking towards 5th street. He wasn't in a mood to mess around with. Especially because he was missing Friends for that jerk.

Seto approached 5th street and groaned. 'Bakura, why are you doing this to me?' he thought. 5th street was infamous as being a big parking lot for all of the low-paid employees of both companies, and lining the road was one big chain of auto warehouses.

'Duke, you better be in this one,' Seto thought as he flung open the doors. Inside were a bunch of Mexicans working on a beat-up Mazda. Seto quickly closed the doors, feeling stupider by the second.

'Well, that narrows it down, by saying, 'abandoned auto warehouse,' doesn't it?' He thought as he went to the next one and flung open the doors. Nada. Nothing. And no one.

"I've had it with these stupid auto warehouses!" Seto said angrily as he kicked the door of the building in front of him. It flew open, revealing a tired-looking Duke and Joey hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Seto! I'm glad you--" He was cut off by Joey, holding a piece of pipe like a club triumphantly over his head.

"Now, we can fight," Joey said.

His eyes suddenly got blank as he fell to the ground, knocked out by Duke, holding another pipe.

"Oww…?" he groaned, holding his head.

CUT!

DELETED SCENE!!!!

ACT X

SCENE X

SETTING: AT A COFFEE SHOP

"Hey, Serenity, I'm glad you could make it," Seto said as Serenity made her way over to the table, where Seto was sipping a latte.

"Yeah, I got your message, so…what did you want to ask me?" She ordered a glass of coffee and a pastry, then motioned for Seto to continue.

"Well, I...wanted to ask you about someone, not something." Seto said.

"Oh, alright. Who, then?" She answered, taking the food from the waitress who had come back with her order.

"I want to know your opinion on Tristan Taylor," Seto said, not letting himself make eye contact with her. Serenity's eyes widened in surprise, and she paused before speaking.

"Well... if you want to know, I'll tell you..."

The very same Tristan Taylor just happened to be walking along the sidewalk in downtown Domino, where the same coffee shop was located. He glanced inside hungrily. 'Man, a donut would taste so good right now,' he thought. 'And that auburn-haired girl in there is so pretty...wait, is that Serenity?' He stopped, and casually glanced through the window again. It was her! He tried to read her lips, although he was more entranced by her lips than what she was saying. The only two words he could decipher were 'Tristan' and 'Taylor'.

'So that means she's talking about someone named...wait, she's talking about me!' He tried miserably to lean against the wall inconspicuously, while listening attentively to what Serenity was saying.

"Well, alright. Tristan is someone who's always been there for me. True, he can be pretty annoying, but he cares about me, which is a hard feeling to not return." At Seto's grimace she laughed lightly.

"No, not like that, I mean...' Serenity paused to finish her drink. "I care about him in a younger-sister sort of way. He's almost like our family, since he's been around for years."

Hearing this, Tristan felt so...fluttery. Like...this: except with wings. He just couldn't help but burst into song. Inside the coffee shop.

"I'm annoying, but she likes me!" He sang, half dancing as he did so.

"Who wound him up?" An old man complained.

"Tristan?" Serenity gasped.

"I'm annoying, but she cares!" Tristan continued, spinning around in a circle. It was unanimous: everyone in the shop agreed he had lost all traces of sanity.

"I'm leaving," Several people got up, disgusted, and left for the bar across the street.

"I'M ANNOYING, BUT SHE LIKES MEEEEE!" Tristan's voice cracked on the last part, which made him stop, sheepishly. At this sudden and unexpected silence, the remaining patrons of the coffee shop burst into applause.

"Shall I continue?" He asked.

"NO!" They cried in unison.

"Hmph. There he goes, making a fool of himself yet again," Seto commented.

"Kaiba?" Tristan asked, surprised and angry. "What are you doing with her?"

"Tristan...you really have to do something about that voice cracking. I mean, you should've hit puberty by now," Seto retorted.

CUT! (Or, end scene)

Notes on ACT 4 ½1/2:

Well, I don't really have any, so I'll use this space to blab about...stuff. Alright. Here's the stuff: I am planning to write another Seto/Serenity fic after this one is over, so expect something. Yay! It will be set in the Noa 'arc' (would that be defined an arc?) and it's a TAD bit AU, but only minor changes. Pairings: Seto/Serenity, of course! Also a little one-sided Serenity/Duke and Serenity/Tristan. So check that out, once it comes. And you'll only know it comes by being on an...

AUTHOR ALERT! I love it when people put me on author alert! Thanks to all 18 of you! And to the 19 who have me on their favorites list! And to those who have reviewed more than once for this fic, I love you guys super doubly much! It just means so much more to me when I get people who follow a fic.

But its ending next chapter, so you'll drift away, preferably to my other fanfics (its like I'm sending you subliminal messages or something (join the army) )

So, tell me what you thought of this random act of randomness, and I'll get to work on ACT five!

Saku-chan!


	6. ACT FIVE

Yes, everyone, this is the concluding chapter of Meaningful Simplicity! I thank you all for your support. You really helped me through this fic. So I'll be sure to make this chapter extra good!

Meaningful Simplicity

By Sakura Takanouchi

Prolouge

Things have taken a turn since last we met

Tristan has confessed his love for Serenity

She replied that his love could be better well spent

On someone else, someone else other than she.

But Seto, now he's stuck quite in a jam

He's been found out; he was seen at the Wheeler's Mansion

His life is now in total bedlam

He's been thrown out; never to return to his house again.

But Tristan wasn't planning on Seto having knowing,

And knowing and planning go both hand in hand.

But neither Seto nor Tristan were planning on knowing

The plans, the knowledge the other had had.

And although it won't benefit you,

My knowledge and planning will be helped times two

With the reviews that I am receiving from you.

So read on, my friends, see how this journey will end,

How all these problems and family feuding will mend.

ACT 5

SCENE 1

Yugi reached for the morning paper as he slowly ate his breakfast. Being a fastidious person, he was careful not to spill any of his tea on the paper, or any of his toast. It was a serene, peaceful morning, and he intended to keep it that way for as long as possible.

But all of that was shattered when he heard someone knocking on the door. Three consistent raps. 'Must be Seto,' Yugi thought, amused. He rose, keeping his mug of tea in hand. Opening the door, he was not surprised to see Seto standing there, looking like he had spent the last night at a motel. Which, he probably had.

"Come in, Seto." Yugi said, inviting him in. Seto quickly followed him into the living room, dragging a duffel bag behind him.

"You look troubled, Seto," Yugi said, pouring a cup of tea. Seto took it and drank thirstily.

"Yes, and I hope I'm not inconveniencing you by being here," Seto said.

"No, not at all," Yugi replied. "Tell me your troubles."

Seto leaned back and closed his eyes tiredly. "Well, first... You've watched the news, haven't you? Joey Wheeler is dead. And Duke's in a coma. All because of...me." Yugi nodded slowly.

"Yes, I have seen the news. I know of these recent happenings."

"After that, Serenity fell into a major shock when she found out about him. I went to visit her, but I was found out. I came back to the Kaiba Mansion, and...Gozaburo threw me out. So I spent the night at a motel. I'm so lost, Yugi. I don't even know where to start."

Yugi watched on with amazement at the broken-down Seto. Deprived of his brother, deprived of his girlfriend, deprived of everyone, everything, gone in an instant. How hard this must be for him! Yugi looked back on his own happy, carefree past. Nothing of this magnitude had ever happened to him. He could only imagine what Seto must be feeling.

"Seto, the truth lies in your heart. You were born for a purpose, and you must find, and fulfill that purpose. I believe you can find it."

Seto then opened his eyes and looked up. He was in his room at the Domino Motel, and it was 7:00. He sat up and began to dress. He knew exactly where he had to go.

SCENE 2

Seto threw a wad of bills on his bed to pay for the motel room and hopped on his motorcycle, feeling determined and afraid at the same time. Yugi's words still rang in his head. "You never know how much time you will spend with the people you love, so make it count…" He was going to do exactly that.

Serenity awoke to the noise of something outside her window. She slowly got out of bed and put on a peach-colored authentic robe. She went out onto the balcony to see what the noise was.

"Seto!" The words barely left her mouth before she regretted speaking. Guards were on double-duty for the next 2 days. What if he was found out...again? Lowering her voice to a whisper, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I had to come back," Seto looked up at her worried but touched expression.

"Well, you picked the perfect time to do it," Serenity quipped. "I'm sorry, Seto...it's just, I don't want you to get hurt. I couldn't bear it if you were taken out of my life. I love you, Seto."

Seto quickly climbed the trellis and easily jumped onto her balcony. "That's all I needed to hear." He slowly bent down on one knee. "Serenity, I want to give you this ring."

Her features softened and tears formed at her eyes as he spoke. "I want to be with you, forever, if only you'll have me." He took the ring box from his hand and opened it. Inside was a beautiful silver ring with a sapphire in the middle. He gently slid the ring on Serenity's shaking hand. He stood up slowly.

"Oh, Seto!" She cried out, flinging her arms around him. They embraced, tears running down Serenity's cheeks. Seto pulled away first. "When you're ready," he said seriously, "I'll give you a real ring."

A/N: What Seto just gave her was a promise ring, as a reminder of their growing relationship and the hope that one day they might get married

Suddenly Serenity started to laugh. "So, what do we do now?" she asked.

Seto shrugged. "I hadn't really thought about that," he said.

Serenity giggled and suddenly twirled around in a circle. "Let's run away together," she said.

Seto just stared at her. "What?"

"You know, girl-meets-guy, they fall in love, girl's and guy's parents hate each other, girl and guy run away together, and they live happily ever after! Except, it'll be for real!" She took Seto's hands. "Ever since I became heir to CyberDyne, I finally understood. My place isn't here. It's with you."

Seto's lips twirled up into a smirk. "Wherever I am?"

She stepped close towards him, her hands moving up to his shoulders. "Wherever you are."

Then he pulled away from her. "Then, let's go!" She blinked, confused.

"Now?"

"When were you thinking? In a week or two? Gather some of your things. I've got a motorcycle and everything I need already out back." He waved her back into her room as she changed and got her things together.

She reappeared a few minutes later wearing a pink top, corduroy khaki capris and a white bucket hat. She carried a tote bag under her arm. "Let's get outta here," She said with a smile.

They drove out of the Wheeler Mansion on Seto's motorcycle. But Serenity insisted on going out through the front gate. She waved happily to the gate attendant as Seto drove through, them both winking at the security cameras.

"So, where's the first place you want to go?" Seto asked once they were out of the Wheeler and Kaiba Districts.

"I want to go to the beach," Serenity said. "I always have a good time at the beach." And Seto drove onward, them both listening to the portable radio Serenity had brought. In less than an hour they had reached the beach. Serenity had immediately kicked off her shoes and was running for the water. Seto followed behind, glad he was wearing shorts and a short-sleeve shirt.

Once he reached the water, Serenity began splashing him. "Hey!" He protested, but she kept flinging water at him. Finally, he fought back, using the waves to his advantage and dragging her good-naturedly into the sea.

After several hours of playing, eating, and shopping, they ended up driving up to one of the cliffs to watch the sunset. It was terribly romantic, just the two of them and the setting sun.

Serenity snuggled against Seto as they watched the sunset. The setting was perfect, but a thought made her break the silence. "What are we going to do after this?" She asked Seto.

"It doesn't matter," Seto replied, playfully rubbing her shoulder.

"No, I'm serious!" Serenity replied, almost laughing as he caressed her side. "I mean, now that we're… starting over. We need a plan."

"Alright," Seto replied. "We'll ride into neutral territory and buy an apartment. We can even get jobs, if you want." At this, Serenity raised her eyebrows. "Or maybe we can just enjoy each other's company until we waste away," Seto ran his fingers up her side, causing her to laugh. Serenity smiled and leaned into Seto, who was mindlessly playing with her hair. Things were going so perfectly. Things were going to be perfect, now.

SCENE 3

The next day, They went riding into town, just like Seto promised. They had picked out an apartment right away, one set back from the tall buildings and actually had some lawn. They both loved it, and agreed to go shopping for things to fill the rooms with right away. Then they had a light lunch and were walking to the furniture store to purchase the necessary things for their apartment.

"Serenity, stop, it's a red light," Seto told her. They were both wearing sunglasses and hats in case anyone recognized them, and he grabbed the back of Serenity's hat to keep her off of the street. "Okay, now I think its safe to cross." They both walked out into the street.

Just then, a man driving a delivery truck came out from the corner at a high rate of speed. Serenity knew nothing of the danger they were in. But Seto turned and knew that there would be no apartment for him to return to that night. No years to come, no big family to harass him, no promise of the future. But he wanted that for Serenity. He grabbed her arm, and pushed her as hard as he could before the truck slammed into him.

'Serenity, I love...you.' He thought, just before his mind shut down. He was in a huge room, and suddenly, all of the lights turned off. He hoped he had done the right thing for Serenity.

The delivery car, which had skidded and had been knocked over on one side, burst into flame. The hot asphalt made it difficult for anyone to come to their rescue, but no cars wanted to share that fate, and kept their distance. The flames died down several minutes later.

The people around were screaming and yelling for an ambulance when someone had the good sense to see if anyone was alive. "Hey, it's a CyberDyne truck!" A man proclaimed. "That's not going to be good for business." He blanched at the sight and aroma of roasting rubber, plastic, and at the sight of the young driver. "That's too bad, he must've been only seventeen or so," the man said, and sent a silent prayer for the soul of the young boy, before yelling for help to get him out of the car. All anyone could make of his name tag was the word _Taylor_.

The Ambulance arrived late, as usual, and the police had begun cleaning up the car remains and had gotten to where the bodies of Seto Kaiba and Serenity Wheeler lay, with their hands intertwined. She had never let go of his hand. Now, they would always be together.

"Hey, look at this!" One cop yelled to the others. "Jesus Christ," the cop said. "They're two kids." Their faces were not burned, but the plastic from their sunglasses had permanently melted onto their faces, so they were unidentifiable. He could also see a mass of silver clutched in the girls hand. They were both dead, was the medical analysis of the situation.

"File in three dead bodies, one girl, two boys. Names: Unknown."

Yugi Motou was watching the TV news update that afternoon, and had seen the car wreck and the remains of the three. He knew at once who they were. "A sadder story has never been told," he mused, " Than that of those unfortunate souls in this world." Then he got up from the couch and began to go about the rest of the day, perhaps a bit slower than he normally would.

END OF ACT 5

STORY: FIN

Notes on Act 5: Wow, I can't believe I dragged myself out of hibernation to write this. You see, I'm sort of mad at YGO's new season, the "waking the dragons" one, so I was like, 'Ha! I shall not write!' but the perfect opportunity came yesterday. I had to start my research paper! So why not finish writing this instead! Yeah, I know you guys probably never read these things, but I'm still talking anyway. Wait, come back!

Notes on the Ending: To all of you, positive or negative, THAT WAS THE ENDING. THERE IS NO MORE. Yeah, I know there wasn't a big dragged-out duel to the death, or the families weren't involved after the deaths, but this is what you get. IT'S OVER. heaves big sigh of relief But I might choose to put up some alternate endings, if I have the time. It depends on what you REVIEW. Do you want a Cinderella ending? Or one more true to the original?

Notes on the Origin of Meaningful Simplicity: Yeah, in case no one figured it out by now, this is a parody (yeah) of _Romeo and Juliet_. I just decided to make it, because I was a huge Seto/Serenity fan, and I thought, this is a great storyline! Let's borrow it! So, I apologize if you guys wanted something closer to the original ending.

One more note: Next, I might update Fire and Ice, or maybe even start a whole new story! (don't count on much) There actually is another play that I want to do a parody on, but you'll have to wait and find out for that!

This is Sakura Takanouchi, signing off!


End file.
